Family Ties - Season 2
Family Ties - Season 2 The second season of Family Ties aired from September 28, 1983 to May 10, 1984 on Syndication in the US. Season 2 Summary Set during the early years of the Reagan administration, Elyse and Steven Keaton (Meredith Baxter-Birney and Michael Gross) are baby-boomers, former Hippies and liberals raising their three children: Alex (Michael J. Fox), Mallory (Justine Bateman) and Jennifer (Tina Yothers) in Surburban Columbus, Ohio. Married in 1964, Elyse, an independent architect, and Steven, a station manager at a local public television station, were hippies during the 1960s. According to the episode, "A Christmas Story" in season one, they were influenced by John F. Kennedy and were members of the Peace Corps following their marriage in 1964. Alex was born in 1965 in Africa. Mallory was born while Elyse and Steven were students at the University of California, Berkeley in 1967, and Jennifer was born the night Richard Nixon won his second term in 1972. Much of the humor of the series focused on the cultural divide during the 1980s when younger generations rejected the counterculture of the 1960s and embraced the conservative politics which came to define the 1980s. Both Alex and Mallory embrace Reaganomics and exhibit right-wing attitudes: Alex is a Young Republican and Mallory is a more traditional young woman in contrast to her feminist mother. Mallory was also presented as a vacuous airhead, which was fodder for jokes and teasing from her brother Alex. Jennifer, an athletic tomboy and the youngest child, shares the values of her parents and just wants to be a normal kid. Elyse and Steven have a fourth child, Andrew, born in 1984. Cast Main Cast * Meredith Baxter-Birney - Elyse Keaton * Michael Gross - Steven Keaton * Michael J. Fox - Alex P. Keaton * Justine Bateman - Mallory Keaton * Tina Yothers - Jennifer Keaton * Brian Bonsall - Andrew Keaton (seasons 5-7) Recurring Cast * Marc Price - Irwin "Skippy" Handelman * Scott Valentine - Nick Moore (seasons 4-7) * Tracy Pollan - Ellen Reed (season 4) * Courtney Cox - Laureen Miller (seasons 5-7) Guest stars * Judith Light - Stacey Hughes (season 2) * Tom Hanks - Ned Donnelly (seasons 1-2) * Geena Davis - Karen Nicholson (season 3) * River Phoenix - Eugene (season 4) * Julia-Louis Dreyfus - Susan "Raindrop" White, Esq. (season 6) * Crispin Glover - Doug (season 2) * Wil Wheaton - Timothy Higgins (season 5) * Corey Feldman - Student Walter (season 4) * Jeff Cohen - Marv, Jr. (season 5)/Dougie Barker (season 3) * Christina Applegate - Kitten (season 5) * Stephen Baldwin - Bobby (season 7) * Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Dougie (season 6) Episode list Tender is the Knight :Directed by: Sam Weisman, Written by: Ruth Bennett, Original air date: September 28, 1983, Production code: 023 The Homecoming :Directed by: Sam Weisman, Written by: Douglas Wyman, Original air date: October 12, 1983, Production code: 027 The Harder They Fall :Directed by: Sam Weisman, Written by: Rich Reinhart, Original air date: October 19, 1983, Production code: 026 This Year's Model :Directed by: John Pasquin, Written by: Susan Borowitz & Richard Raskind, Original air date: October 26, 1983, Production code: 032 Not an Affair to Remember :Directed by: Sam Weisman, Written by: Ruth Bennett & Gary David Golberg, Original air date: November 2, 1983, Production code: 029 Speed Trap :Directed by: Sam Weisman, Written by: Michael J. Weithorn, Original air date: November 9, 1983, Production code: 025 Sweet Lorraine :Directed by: Sam Weisman, Written by: Alan Uger, Original air date: November 16, 1983, Production code: 031 Batter Up :Directed by: Sam Weisman, Written by: Lisa A. Bannick, Original air date: November 30, 1983, Production code: 028 A Keaton Christmas Carol :Directed by: Will Mackenzie, Written by: Robert Caplain (story) & Rich Reinhart (teleplay), Original air date: December 14, 1983, Production code: 037 To Snatch a Keith :Directed by: Sam Weisman, Written by: Alan Uger, Original air date: December 21, 1983, Production code: 024 Birthday Boy :Directed by: Will Mackenzie, Written by: Michael J. Weithorn, Original air date: January 5, 1984, Production code: 033 Go Tigers :Directed by: Will Mackenzie, Written by: Michael J. Weithorn, Original air date: January 12, 1984, Production code: 036 M is for the Many Things :Directed by: Will Mackenzie, Written by: Lisa A. Bannick, Original air date: January 19, 1984, Production code: 038 Say Uncle :Directed by: Will Mackenzie, Written by: Ruth Bennett, Original air date: January 26, 1984, Production code: 039 Ladies' Man :Directed by: John Pasquin, Written by: Alan Uger, Original air date: February 2, 1984, Production code: 040 Ready or Not :Directed by: Lee Shallat-Chemel, Written by: Ruth Bennett & Michael J. Weithorn, Original air date: February 9, 1984, Production code: 041 Double Date :Directed by: Will Mackenzie, Written by: Douglas Wyman, Original release date: February 16, 1984, Production code: 044 Lady Sings the Blues :Directed by: Andrew McCullough, Written by: Alan Uger & Michael J. Weithorn, Original air date: February 23, 1984, Production code: 042 Baby Boy Doe :Directed by: Will Mackenzie, Written by: Ruth Bennett & Alan Uger, Original air date: March 8, 1984, Production code: 045 The Graduate :Directed by: Will Mackenzie, Written by: Ruth Bennett & Lloyd Graver, Original air date: March 15, 1984, Production code: 043 Diary of a Young Girl :Directed by: Sam Weisman, Written by: Ruth Bennett, Original air date: May 3, 1984, Production code: 034 Working At It :Directed by: Sam Weisman, Written by: Lloyd Garver, Original air date: May 10, 1984, Production code: 030